Jan 21 (Reuters) - Washington Mutual (News) has asked a U.S. bankruptcy court for a 90-day extension to file its Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan, according to court documents.

Washington Mutual had been the largest U.S. savings and loan before JPMorgan Chase&Co bought its banking assets for $1.9 billion in a deal arranged by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The holding company for WaMu later filed for bankruptcy protection.

In a filing on Tuesday, WaMu said the seizure and subsequent sale of its assets by the FDIC to JPMorgan has significantly complicated what would otherwise be a straightforward restructuring or liquidation.

'That seizure and sale almost completely stripped the debtors (WaMu) of their employees and business records,' the filing said.

The company said FDIC's action caused significant uncertainty about the legal status of some of the its most significant assets, including several billions of dollars originally on deposit with Washington Mutual Bank.

WaMu said it was not seeking the extension to delay the Chapter 11 process or to pressure its creditors to accept an unfair plan.

The company also said it had made significant progress during the first three months of these cases and was now in the process of addressing a number of significant legal and economic issues affecting its assets and potential liabilities.

Such requests for extensions are common in large bankruptcy cases like this. Washington Mutual is the second-largest U.S. bankruptcy case in history, after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc , according to Bankruptcydata.com, which tracks public company bankruptcy filings.

Unless extended, WaMu's plan period will expire on Jan. 24, the court filing said. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Feb. 17.

Optionen

....here in the valley about 20 minutes ago, I was afraid the house would be coming down!!several earthquakes shaking The Valley in a span of about 24 hours....some are M4 or greater - oh my gosh!! I blame the WMIH BoD!! LoL